There was difficulty retaining and engaging participants due to technological barriers.

BackgroundThe need to develop effective and accessible interventions for suicidal individuals engaging in heavy episodic drinking (HED) cannot be understated. While the link between alcohol use and suicidality is a complex one that remains to be elucidated, emotion dysregulation may play a key role in alcohol-related suicide risk in these individuals.ObjectiveIn the current study, an 8-week Internet-delivered dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills training intervention was developed and preliminarily evaluated for suicidal individuals who engage in HED to regulate emotions. The aim of the study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the therapist-assisted and Internet-delivered intervention, and to inform the design of a subsequent full-scale study.MethodsThe study was a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing participants receiving immediate-treatment (n=30) to waitlist controls (n=29) over a period of 16 weeks. Intervention effects will be assessed longitudinally using hierarchical linear modeling and generalized estimating equations, along with analyses of effect sizes and clinically significant change. The primary outcomes are suicidal ideation, alcohol problems, and emotion dysregulation. Secondary outcomes include alcohol-related consequences, reasons for living, skills use, and depression.ResultsThe trial is ongoing. A total of 60 individuals returned their informed consent and were randomized, of whom 59 individuals were intended to treat. A total of 50 participants in the study were retained through the 16-week enrollment.ConclusionsThere is a dearth of evidence-based treatment for individuals presenting with high risk and complex behaviors. Furthermore, computerized interventions may provide a beneficial alternative to traditional therapies. The particular clinical features and treatment needs of suicidal individuals who also engage in HED constitute key domains for further investigation that are needed to consolidate the design of appropriate interventions for this high-risk population.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT02932241; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02932241 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6uJHdQsC2)

Suicidal thoughts, for which college students are at risk, tend to be negatively associated with intentions to seek therapy, particularly among collegeaged men. Emerging research suggests college students may seek psychological help online; however, factors that explain why they avoid help and/or may prefer online help remain unknown. Method: 816 college students completed measures of suicidal ideation, help-seeking intentions, and theoretical mediators and moderators of their relationship. Results: Suicidal ideation was associated with stronger preference for online help among female, but not male respondents. The indirect effect of suicidal ideation on help negation via interpersonal difficulties was positive where self-concealment was high but negative where it was low. This pattern, however, was not found for online help preference. Conclusions: Online interventions can augment suicide prevention and intervention for college students. However, suicidal male students may be less likely to utilize online help sources. The mechanisms underlying this gender difference remain unclear. More research is needed to understand how help-negation in college-aged men can be addressed in online intervention platforms.

BACKGROUND The need to develop effective and accessible interventions for suicidal individuals engaging in heavy episodic drinking (HED) cannot be understated. While the link between alcohol use and suicidality is a complex one that remains to be elucidated, emotion dysregulation may play a key role in alcohol-related suicide risk in these individuals. OBJECTIVE In the current study, an 8-week Internet-delivered dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills training intervention was developed and preliminarily evaluated for suicidal individuals who engage in HED to regulate emotions. The aim of the study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the therapist-assisted and Internet-delivered intervention, and to inform the design of a subsequent full-scale study. METHODS The study was a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing participants receiving immediate-treatment (n=30) to waitlist controls (n=29) over a period of 16 weeks. Intervention effects will be assessed longitudinally using hierarchical linear modeling and generalized estimating equations, along with analyses of effect sizes and clinically significant change. The primary outcomes are suicidal ideation, alcohol problems, and emotion dysregulation. Secondary outcomes include alcohol-related consequences, reasons for living, skills use, and depression. RESULTS The trial is ongoing. A total of 60 individuals returned their informed consent and were randomized, of whom 59 individuals were intended to treat. A total of 50 participants in the study were retained through the 16-week enrollment. CONCLUSIONS There is a dearth of evidence-based treatment for individuals presenting with high risk and complex behaviors. Furthermore, computerized interventions may provide a beneficial alternative to traditional therapies. The particular clinical features and treatment needs of suicidal individuals who also engage in HED constitute key domains for further investigation that are needed to consolidate the design of appropriate interventions for this high-risk population. CLINICALTRIAL Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02932241; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02932241 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6uJHdQsC2)